(After J. Doty and J. Ross)
In the early 1800s a woman came into a store in Salem, Illinois. The town had three stores, a post-office, a mill and fifteen houses. The general store sold everything — groceries, hardware, clothes, and medicine. The woman first was alone in the store. Then she saw a young man. He was lying on a counter and was reading a book on law. There were some bolts of cloth on the counter. "How much is this cloth?" asked the woman loudly.
The young man jumped off the counter and shut his book. He was six feet tall and had black hair.
"I was studying and did not hear you," He said. "May I help you?"
"Can you tell me the price of this cloth?" asked the woman.
"That cloth is fifteen cents a yard, ma'am," he replied. "These bolls over here are twenty cents, and those over there are twenty-five cents. They are thirty-six inches wide."
"That's too much," she said. "My boys need some overalls. Have you any in size seven and size nine?"
"We have no size seven," replied the young man. "We have none that small. But this pair here is size nine."
"Thank you, I will take it," she said. "And do youhave any peppermint sticks for my children?"
"Yes, I have some for a penny a piece," he said. "How many do you want, please?"
"I want six," she said, "and a pound of tea, and ten cents' worth of salt."
The young man was large and awkward. He was nervous and his hand shook when he measured salt and tea.
"Don't give me so much salt," she said. "I don't need that much."
The young nian looked more embarrassed, and he took some salt out of the package.
That evening the woman told her husband about the strange young man who lay on the counter and read books. Just then they heard a knock at their door. The young man stood there. He held out six cents in his hand.
"This is yours, ma'am," he said.
The woman was surprised. She did not think the money was hers.
"Yes," said the young man. "When I sold you your salt, I charged you too much for it. Here it is."
"If it is mine, thank you," said the woman. But what did you walk six miles for on such a stormy night?"
"I wanted to correct my mistake before I went to bed, he said.
The name of the young man was Abraham Lincoln.
He became president of the United Stales. His friends called him Honest Abe.
Reproduction 16 While the auto waits
The girl in grey came again to that quiet corner of that quiet small park. She sat down on a bench and began to read a book. She had come there at the same hour on the previous day, and on the day before that, and there was a young man who knew it.
The young man came near. At that moment her book fell on the ground. The young man picked up the book, returned it to the girl politely, saying a few words about the weather, and stood waiting. The girl looked at his simple coat and his common face. "You may sit down, if you like," she said. "The light is too bad for reading. I should like to talk."
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"Do you know," he said, "that you are the finest girl I have seen."
"Whoever you are," said the girl in an icy tone, "you must remember that I am a lady."
"I beg your pardon," said the young man, "but—"
"Let's change the subject. I come here to sit because it is here that I can be near the masses of the people. I speak to you because I want to talk to a natural man. Oh! You don't know how tired I am of it—money, money, money. I'm tired of pleasure, of travel."
"I always had an idea," said the young man, "that money must be a very good thing."
"When you have so many millions! Dinners, theatres, balls, suppers! I'm tired of it," said the young girl. The young man looked at her with interest. "Sometimes," continued the girl, "I think if I ever loved a man, I should love a simple man. What is your profession?"
"I am a very simple man. But I hope to rise in the world. I work at a restaurant," said he.
The girl drew back.
"I am a cashier in that restaurant you see there with that brilliant electric sign: 'Restaurant'."
The girl looked at her watch and rose. "Why are you not at work?" she said.
"I am on the night turn," said the young man, "it is an hour yet till my work begins. May I hope to see you again?"
"I don't know, perhaps. I must go quickly now. Oh, there is a dinner and a concert tonight. Perhaps you noticed a white automobile at the corner of the park when you came?"
Yes, I did," said the young man.
I always come "in it. The driver waits for me there. Good night."
But it is dark now," said the young man. "May I accompany you to the car?"
You will remain on this bench for ten minutes after I have left.
And she went away. The young man looked at her elegant figure while she was going to the entrance of the park. Then he rose and followed her. When she reached the park gate, she turned her head to look at the car, then passed it, crossed the street and entered the restaurant. A red-haired girl left the cashier’s desk, and the girl in grey took her place.
The young man put his hands into the pockets and walked slowly down the street. Then he got into the white automobile and sail to the driver: “Club, Henry.”